Your Hands Can Heal
by BroodyCheery323
Summary: After Alaric gets hit by the car, Elena calls Damon. Missing scene, set in episode 3x10


AN: First time writing for Alaric and Damon! Next to Stefan/Damon, they are probably my favourite paring on the show – whether you consider it a bromance or a romance, both are amazing lol. I can't believe I haven't written them yet and to be honest I'm not too sure about this one, but I'm just trying to get the hang of the pairing and the characters; hope it turned out okay ;)

Set in 3x10, after Alaric got hit by the car – missing scene!  
>Title taken from the song Poison&amp;Wine<p>

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (if I did, there would be a LOT of changes :p)

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><p>Elena calls him after it happens. He answers the phone with some cocky, flirtatious greeting that he can't even remember now. She doesn't sigh in annoyance, or chuckle in reluctant amusement; she doesn't say anything and he knows. He doesn't know <em>who, <em>but he knows.

"Elena, what's-"

"It's Alaric, Damon," she cuts him off. "You need to get to the hospital."

He doesn't remember hanging up, or getting to the hospital.

Xx

Damon hates hospitals. His vampire senses pick up everything. He can hear people begging for their loved ones lives, he can feel the sterility, he can taste the _blood,_ he can see their hopeful and destroyed expressions, but worst of all is the smell, the smell of death that invades his nose immediately.

He hates hospitals.

Xx

Elena's sitting in the waiting room. The first thing he notices is the tear streaks on her cheeks and he stops. He's not sure he wants to ask.

Elena turns to him then, a look of relief on her face. He's not sure why. He still doesn't even know what happened, what's happening. All he knows is Alaric and hospital. Maybe if he postpones finding out the rest, it will all go away.

She's in front of him now, her arms looping around his neck, and he has enough sense of mind to wrap his around her in return. He feels, more than hears, the sobs against his neck and he clenches his eyes shut against it.

Damon doesn't know why she's carrying on like this. Why she even called him. _Ric's fine, Ric has a magic ring – Ric can't die!_ The thoughts run on a loop in his mind, have been running through his mind since he heard the words, _its Alaric, Damon. You need to get to the hospital. _

"What happened, Elena? Where's Alaric?"

Xx

It's unsettling. Alaric's lying still in a hospital bed, hooked up to every machine in sight. His face has lost all colour, he looks paler than Damon.

Damon's eyes immediately go to Alaric's hand where the ring is still firmly in place. Not that it matters, since it doesn't appear to be working. He'd been wondering about the ring. Ever since the last time he killed Alaric and it took a lot longer than usual for him to rejoin the living. He'd never admit it, but sitting next to Ric's dead body on the couch for hours scared him. He wasn't sure then if Alaric would wake up and he's not sure now.

Those hours that Alaric had been dead were agonizing for Damon. Not only was his best, and arguably only, friend lying dead next to him but it was because of him. He'd killed him, again. Only this time he wasn't sure he'd wake up. Only then did Damon realize just how much he couldn't lose Alaric.

Contrary to what Alaric believed, he was sorry. He was sorrier for that than most things in his very long existence. He wasn't one to apologize, but that didn't stop him from feeling sorry – or for wishing he could go back and not do it. Alaric's forgiven him now but it doesn't stop his feelings of regret.

Alaric's breathing is shallower than when Damon entered the room. It looks like every breath hurts. And the vampire hunter/high school history teacher had yet to wake up.

A particularly painful gasp for air has Damon moving without consciously thinking about it. In a second he's sitting on the edge of the bed, one hand cradling Alaric's head, while the other goes to his mouth. He lets his fangs descend and tears into his wrist.

He ignores the instinct not to and tilting Alaric's head back presses his wrist against his mouth. He doesn't respond at first and Damon lets out a frustrated groan.

"We don't have time for this, Ric," he mumbles out loud.

It takes another bite and the gently prying open of Alaric's lips before he manages to get his blood in Alaric's mouth. He's unresponsive at first but after a significant amount has gotten down Damon feels a slight suction on his wrist.

He breathes out in relief while simultaneously fighting his natural instinct to pull away. Vampires are predators. It goes against their survival instincts to let someone take blood from them. It doesn't stop Damon from letting Alaric drink for another few minutes.

Eventually he forces his wrist away from Alaric's mouth. The vampire hunter still hasn't woken up but his breathing has evened out, and most of his colour has returned to his face. Damon doesn't think it will be long before he wakes up.

He makes sure to be gone before that happens.

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><p>Review and let me know what you thought please! : )<p> 


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